As rites of spring go, few are more rewardingor more challengingthan the yearly deep clean. With helpful hints from a few local pros, tackling this year's spring cleaning will seem like less of a chore.
Expert: The Home Edit
The Home Edit, run by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, is a full-service home organization company that specializes in decluttering, organizing, and creating functional, stylized spaces. thehomeedit.com
The Kitchen
1. Start with a good edit: Toss anything expired, rarely used, or duplicative. What you'll be left with is food you actually eat, appliances you actually use, andbecause we're in Nashvillefewer koozies.
2. The key to an organized space is containment. But when picking containers, you need to think about what's going to best fit your lifestyle and your kitchen. For instance, a busy mom doesn't have time to empty every bag of cereal, box of pasta, and cookies into their own jar. A more realistic approach is to utilize bins for larger groupings labeled 'snacks” or 'cereal” and reserve a few jars for the staple items you always have on hand.
3. Think about what items you want most accessible and how the kitchen flows and divide the room into designated areas: all cooking-related items in one section, dishes and glassware in another, entertaining, utility, baking, and so on. If there are children in the house, keep items like food storage and 'unbreakables” down low; if you're not that tall, make sure appliances are in reach and keep heavy items on lower shelving; if baking isn't a priority, store those items in a less accessible place.
Expert: Mom Organizing Moms
Tammy Maharrey of Mom Organizing Moms provides welcome refreshment and support for busy mothers, fathers, children, and families. She helps with unique ideas and creative solutions for organizing and arranging. momorganizingmoms.com
The bedroom
1. A clutter-free bedroom is the first step to enjoying a restful night's sleep. To begin, remove any belongings that have nothing to do with leisure or sleep. After finding a designated space for the items that are left, focus on the most essential element of the room: the bed.
2. Invest in a quality mattress and bed frame with sturdy wheels that allow you to move the bed easily for cleaning. Keep the area under the bed free of clutter. To determine how to dress your bed, consider cozy layers that adjust to your body's temperature when you sleep. Place a light cotton blanket at the end of your bed for extra warmth and finish with the pillows of your choice and three euro shams with pillow inserts to add a clean, finished touch.
3. Select pieces that surround your bed for function as well as beauty. We suggest a vintage nightstand with a bookshelf and drawer on one side and another with a closed door to hide bedside essentials on the other side. Consider using a cup and saucer from your china collection to stash rings and jewelry at bedtime. Keep the rest of the dresser clutter-free with a lamp on either side of the bed for extra lighting. Finish with a spritz of lavender/eucalyptus pillow mist before crawling into bed for the night.
Experts: One Organized Girl
Brenna Peyton's goal is to help you find more time, space, and energy for the good stuff in life through practical, easy-to-maintain strategies that work even when you're feeling less than motivated. oneorganizedgirl.com
The office
1. The very first thing you want to do is sort like items together. This means grabbing some boxes or bins, throwing some painter's tape labels on them, and diving in. Group together office supplies, crafty stuff, tech, paperwork, décor, stationery, photos, keepsake items, and 'belongs somewhere else.” The key to the sorting process is to go quickly! The last thing you want to do is stop and think too much. Don't just make piles, thoughboxes are important. They're going to allow you to walk away from the project while still having access to your stuff without having to worry about all of your work coming undone.
2. Next, decide what you'll keep versus what you're ready to trash or donate. The key is to only worry about one box at a time. For example, start with your tech box. Pretend no other box exists. All you're worried about is dealing with the items in that specific box. Be brutal in your decision-making. If you haven't used something in forever, you don't know what it is, or you just don't like it, it's time to get it out of your life. (Leave paperwork for lastthat's a separate project in itself!)
3. The final phase starts once you've purged each box. This is the fun part! Now that you know exactly which items are staying in your life, all you have to do is find some organizing tools to hold them: decorative boxes, matching baskets, cute trays. Just make sure that the container is sized correctly for what it's going to hold. The contents should not overflow. Transfer your sorted items into your new containers, make cute labels for each one, and call it a day.